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Suzy ParkerAmerican model and actress
Date of Birth: 28.10.1932
Country:  USA |
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Biography of Suzy Parker
Suzy Parker, born Cecilia Renee Ann Parker on October 28, 1932, in San Antonio, Texas, USA, was an American model and actress. She was the daughter of George and Elizabeth Parker, who got married around 1916. The couple had three daughters, Dorian Lee, Florine Avalyn, and Georgiabell Laura, and 12 years after the birth of their youngest daughter, Suzy was born.
Early Life and Modeling Career
Suzy Parker's parents had a difficult time choosing a name for their youngest daughter. Initially, her mother named her after three of her friends, but Suzy's older sister, Dorian Lee, noticed that the initials of Cecilia Renee Ann Parker spelled out the word 'crap'. So, their father decided to name her Suzy. Eventually, a photographer for French Vogue changed the spelling to 'Suzy'.
The Parker family moved to Highland Park, New Jersey, and then to Florida. When Suzy was 15 years old, her sister Dorian, who had become one of the first top models in the world, introduced her to a model scout. Dorian Lee called the 'Ford' agency and told Eileen and Jerry Ford that she would work with them if they took her sister Suzy 'blindly'. Eileen and Jerry were expecting Suzy to resemble Dorian, with her graceful, delicate features, pale complexion, captivating blue eyes, and black hair. They were shocked when they first saw Suzy in a restaurant - a freckled girl with red hair, a broad frame, a height of 5'6" (167 cm), and light green eyes. However, Suzy later became more famous than Dorian.
Parker became acquainted with fashion photographers, including Irving Penn, Horst P. Horst, John Rawlings, and a young Richard Avedon, who considered her his muse. Suzy once said, "The only joy I got out of modeling was working with Dick Avedon." It was Avedon who suggested that Suzy appear in the 1957 musical film 'Funny Face', where Avedon himself served as the inspiration for the character Fred Astaire played.
Acting Career
In addition to her modeling career, Suzy Parker appeared in several films, including 'Kiss Them for Me', 'The Best of Everything', 'Ten North Frederick', 'A Circle of Deception', 'Flight from Ashiya', and 'The Twilight Zone'. She also appeared in various TV shows, such as 'Perry Mason', 'Alfred Hitchcock Presents', 'Dr. Kildare', 'Wanted: Dead or Alive', 'The Night Gallery', 'Tarzan', 'Bob Hope Presents', and 'The 90-Minute Theater'.
Personal Life and Death
Suzy Parker was married three times. Around 1950, she eloped to Georgia with her high school sweetheart, Ronald. However, some sources claim her first husband's name was Charles. Reflecting on her first husband, Suzy said, "He was very beautiful, but he was a disaster for marriage." After meeting journalist Pierre de La Salle at a party in the suburbs of Paris, she quickly divorced Ronald upon returning to the US. Ronald agreed to the divorce on the condition that Suzy give him a large sum of money and pay for his nose surgery and acting lessons. It is believed that Ronald took his own life later on as he never succeeded in becoming an actor.
Suzy and Pierre remained together for a long time, despite her knowledge of his numerous infidelities. They secretly married in 1957 or 1958. However, after Suzy and her father were involved in a car accident in which only Suzy survived, and after she recovered from her injuries and became pregnant, Pierre left her.
In 1963, Suzy married actor Bradford Dillman and became the stepmother of his two children, Jeffrey and Pamela. She decided to leave her career and focus on raising their children and pursuing culinary arts.
Suzy Parker passed away on May 3, 2003, at the age of 70 in Montecito, California.
